Sill development log · October 7, 2026
Day 1 — A browser called Sill
The first Windows portable betas established the compact browser, its branding and the tools that would shape the product.
Retrospective entry written October 12 from the retained project record.
The brief
Sill began as an independent browser owned by Hamelton Software: less frame around the page, clear controls, a compact workspace and a teal identity built around #087F83. The supplied brand assets shaped the browser and sillbrowser.com.
The first foundation
Early betas established tab navigation, twenty color themes and custom colors, local password CSV import, encrypted saved data, a theme-matched Sill icon and a new-update indicator. Address and payment profiles broadened autofill beyond logins.
Tools for everyday work
Viewport and tab menus, the keyboard-shortcut legend, site protection controls, hovered-link destinations, downloads, history import, developer tools and screenshots arrived during the first development sequence. Initial autofill issues were recorded rather than assumed solved.
Glide takes shape
The requested hidden browser frame became Sill Glide: an overlay revealed from an edge indicator so the page could occupy the workspace. That direction became a defining product feature.
Status at the time
The first releases were unsigned Windows portable betas. Speed and low memory were goals; comparative performance against Chrome had not been established.